Governor Daugaard Signs SDSU Stadium Bill

Don Jorgensen reports:

Brookings, SD

Governor Daugaard signed legislation today that paves the way for a new $65 million football stadium on the campus of South Dakota State University. That's where today's ceremonial signing also took place.

It's been talked about for a long time, but today with the stroke of the pen by the governor, SDSU will get to build a new football stadium.

"Congratulations SDSU and Jackrabbits," Governor Daugaard said.

Today's ceremonial signing of Senate Bill 15 on the field of the aging Coughlin-Alumni Stadium marks a new beginning for SDSU.

"Part of that is having the best facilities in which people can do their work and that is not just the work of athletics, but the work of academics as well as the opportunities for students to pursue their academic dreams and student athletes to pursue their athletic dreams," SDSU President David Chicoine said.

The legislation signed today allows the South Dakota Board of Regents to authorize, design and equip the new stadium.

"I'm very excited we're going to have a stadium that is a caliber that represents the kind of caliber that SDSU is as an institution," Governor Daugaard said.

But it wouldn't be possible without millions of dollars in private donations. One of those donors is a former SDSU football player and now banker, Dana Dykhouse, who donated over $24 million to the project.

"It's a great honor and a great privilege to be part of that Jackrabbit family and be able to give something back," Dykhouse said.

And because Dykhouse played four years here, he didn't pull any punches when talking about the new 19,000 seat facility.

"There was one error on that, it says capacity of 19,000, before this stadium is done, I guarantee, it will have one more seat than the Fargo Dome, without a doubt," Dykhouse joked.